One important aspect in wireless networks, in this case mobile telephony networks, is to ensure that the network is simple to deploy and cost efficient to operate. Preferably, the network should also be self-organizing in as many aspects as possible. Another aspect which is important to ensure is that the network has good coverage. One way of improving the coverage of a mobile telephony system is to use relay nodes, which serve as an “intermediate station” between mobile terminals in a cell of the system and the base station which serves the cell. Usually, the same technology is used both for user data between a mobile terminal and the relay node, and for the connection between the relay node and the base station.
A problem when deploying relay nodes in a mobile telephony network is that not all base stations in the network may be capable of supporting relay nodes.
Relay node support broadcasting from all base stations has been proposed to handle this problem, but a drawback to such a solution is it comprises rather costly signaling, which would only be needed when relay nodes are installed and powered on for the first time.